
3. Visit Robben Island and World Heritage Site in Table Bay. Once a leper colony, this is where ex-political prisoner and former President Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for many years. The prison became an icon of apartheid oppression and it is now a museum. Tour guides include ex-prisoners, who tell what it was like to be confined on this ‘island of the damned’. Tours depart 4 times a day (weather permitting) from Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront.
4. Delve into the past at the Iziko South African Museum in Queen Victoria Street. This natural history museum bristles with artefacts from the early Iron Age and is a must for folks obsessed with dinosaurs and fossils. Then pop into the planetarium next door for some star-gazing. A projected show on the domed ceiling will make you remember what a fascinating universe we live in.
5. Visit the Bo-Kaap Museum in Wale Street for a peek into the life of the Cape’s Muslim community. This 18th-century home is the oldest in the area.
6. Do a township tour with a recognised tour operator, interacting with locals using universal themes such as food, music, arts and crafts. Visit a shebeen to taste traditional beer, chat with the residents and stuff yourself with a typical African dinner.
7. Go whale-watching at False Bay from June to November and learn about the marine life of these whales, dolphins, sharks and seals. There are some posters at a great lookout on Boyes Drive, between Lakeside and Kalk Bay on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. Other good places include Clovelly Corner and Jagger's Walk or Sunny Cove, all in Fish Hoek.
9. Visit World of Birds in Hout Bay to see more than 3 000 birds and small animals of 400 species in some 100 walk-through aviaries – anything from vultures and owls to little songbirds. And while you’re in the area, don’t miss a visit to Hout Bay harbour to see the working fishing boats.
10. Get a bird’s eye view of the wonder that is the Fairest Cape by taking a helicopter tour over the peninsula – anything from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the depth of your pockets.
In the next post, some fun foodie things to do in Cape Town.
Like it? Pin this image!
20 things to do in Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands
Why to visit Vine Guesthouse in Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za